Michael Cowling

Professor Michael A Cowling is an award-winning technology educator and communicator with a keen interest in mixed reality education, computer science education, and information technology in society.

He is currently a Professor and Director, Hub for Apple Platform Innovation (HAPI) in the School of Computing Technologies at RMIT University, and is the founder of The CREATE Lab, which focuses on collaborative research and engagement around technology and education (www.thecreatelab.com.au).

He holds an Australian Government National Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning and is an Advance Queensland Community Digital Champion, as well as a partner in the Australian Office for Learning & Teaching Innovation & Development grant funded Transforming Exams project and an Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE) Community Fellow.

Michael's other appointments include as a consulting expert in information technology for the Australian Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), and an assessor for the Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT).

His workshop series “Weaving Technology into the Fabric of the Classroom” has provided training for more than 200 Queensland teachers on innovative technology, and as a CSIRO STEM Professional in Schools he presents technology to students as part of the popular “Professor Tech” program.

Michael has also written opinion pieces for Australian national publications including Education Matters, Education Technology Solutions, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Brisbane Times.

Michael lives by the mantra “pedagogy before technology”, and believes in a pedagogy-first, technology-enhanced approach to technology adoption in society, if it is to truly enrich our lives.